Our brainstormed list of 160 ideas

LEGO whiteboard

LEGO Hotel

LEGO boat

Engineering is about more than building something cool. It’s about designing things that help real people.

I asked our students to list 20 models they can build with LEGO bricks! They could list and build models that help friends learn, move, sleep, talk, see, or feel better.
#STEM #LEGO #EduSky

Totally! Thank you for sharing!

Give 4th & 5th graders a platter of Nurcs, craft sticks, & a challenge, and watch what happens.

Task: design and build a wheeled creation that can transport 10+ plastic eggs.

They didn’t just meet the goal…they engineered solutions, tested ideas, and delivered in a big way.

#stem #EduSky #steam

✨What would you build?

Working with a partner, students designed and built wheeled creations using Nurcs and craft sticks to transport 10+ plastic eggs safely across the table.

Teamwork, creativity, and hands-on problem solving in action… 👀

@nurcstoy.bsky.social
#stem #EduSky #steam

Tower built with Nurcs and craft sticks with pencil sketch

No ruler? No problem! After collaborating on their Nurcs & craft stick tower, a fourth grader captured their design with a detailed sketch (including drawing her arm to show scale). That’s measurement, spatial reasoning, & engineering design thinking in action.
@nurcstoy.bsky.social
#STEM #EduSky

A tank and design plan

In just 35 minutes, two 5th graders designed and built this tank using Nurcs and craft sticks! They nailed the collaborative planning, structural thinking, and rapid creation.

@nurcstoy.bsky.social
#STEM #EduSky

Nurcs bridge

A Bridge
✏️ “To start, we worked on the bottom road. Working with my friend helped because she knew that one road is not enough.”

✏️”Thank you for giving us the Nurcs. It really helps us build better instead of using glue. Thank you for the inspiration.” -5th grade team
@nurcstoy.bsky.social #stem

Nurcs beach house

Nurcs tank

Nurcs flower

“I love Nurcs now. They are so fun. [My friends and I] built a beach house with stairs. I love how fun and cool Nurcs are. They are very easy to use.”

“…these are the best things ever…”

📸: 3rd graders @nurcstoy.bsky.social

#stem #steam #EduSky

Nurcs basket

Nurcs chair

Nucs circus

Basket: “My plan worked because I could hold it without breaking.”

Chair: “I was going to make a bridge, and then I made it into a chair.”

Circus: “I built a circus with a rainbow floor. One thing I learned is that small things can do a lot.”

📸: 5th graders @nurcstoy.bsky.social

#stem #EduSky

A Nurcs Daycare

A Nurcs Daycare

“[My partner and I] thought since it is going to be a daycare the kids would love the rainbow roof. We also built a bunch for the kids.”

“I loved how [ @nurcstoy.bsky.social ] gave us Nurcs to build. I love how they help put the sticks together.” -3rd grader
#stem #steam #EduSky

Nurcs house

Nurcs Tank

Nurcs house

Nurcs tank

“The most important thing I’ll remember is how Nurcs and craft sticks go good with each other.”

“The 180° Nurc was my favorite!”

“Thank you for the materials, @nurcstoy.bsky.social .”

📸: 4th graders 🏠
#STEM #steam #EduSky

What are students learning at the water station? 💧

• Fine motor control
• Measurement & volume
• Cause & effect
• Engineering thinking
• Scientific vocabulary & observation
… and more!

#STEM #STEAM #EduSky #Kindergarten

Back from Spring Break…

Our final three classes took on the 2026 @sciencebuddies.bsky.social Engineering Challenge. Each team collected scraps in recycle bins and those leftovers became a K–1 engineering station in the afternoon. ♻️

Watch to the end to see the innovation come full circle! 🖍️ ✂️

🗣️“Wait…” - 3rd graders

Which of our 42 teams built the SLOWEST ball run & holds the highest score so far?

Find out by searching “Dickens” in the @sciencebuddies.bsky.social Engineering Challenge Showcase & show our young engineers some ❤️!
#ScienceBuddiesEngineeringChallenge

#STEM #EduSky #STEAM

🚨New engineering station!

I rearranged my room to try something new inspired by @ms.oats.class (IG). Halved gift wrap tubes + magnetic clips + masking tape rolls = a whiteboard ball run.

Kinder & 1st graders tested it with ping pong balls! It was a hit! 🎉♻️
#STEM #STEAM #EduSky

Although the #ScienceBuddiesEngineeringChallenge doesn’t require video submissions, I record them to help with timing the ball runs and to share students’ #STEM work with our community.

Search “Dickens” in the @sciencebuddies.bsky.social Engineering Challenge Showcase and ❤️ all 24 runs!
#EduSky

Did the 1st graders build the entire marble run in 40 minutes? Yes & no

They folded two ramps & two supports. The remaining pieces were thoughtfully sourced from our “remix” bins (repurposed materials from upper grades).

Strategic reuse saves time & expands creative capacity!
#stem #EduSky #steam

This cardboard marble run was independently designed, built, and tested by a 2nd grader in just 40 minutes.

When young learners are given time, materials, and trust, they engineer far beyond expectations.
#STEM #STEAM #EduSky

Photo of Page 72 of the book STEAM Makers by Dr. Jacie Maslyk

Photo of the sustainability cart with more than a dozen cereal boxes

Our Sustainability Cart, featured by @jaciemaslyk.bsky.social in the 2nd edition of #STEAMMakers, remains prominently placed in our main hallway.

With a call-to-action from Oscar the Grouch, our community is actively donating cereal boxes for an upcoming engineering design challenge!
#stem

“Next year, I want to build a water slide with a pool at the end.” – 4th grader (EOY Reflection)

Students estimated how many long & short pool noodle segments their water slide would require. They tested, conducted a final count, & wrote reflections.

📸: 2nd & 3rd grade teams

#STEM

Most students showed up with Valentine’s treats today. One 4th grader showed up with a motorized vehicle she engineered and couldn’t wait to demonstrate. That’s the kind of excitement #STEM learning ignites! 🚗 #EduSky #STEAM

Dozens of student reflections expressed authentic engineering curiosity last week! After building wind-powered cars from cardboard, many wondered what it would be like to design one using LEGO instead. That’s transfer, iteration, and material inquiry in action! Lessons learned!
#STEM #EduSky #lego

A 3rd grade teacher arrived five minutes early and led an impromptu sail-car race! Her students had completed their diagrams and written reflections and were freely testing designs. 🤝 #commUNITY #STEM

📸: “We love engineering.” - 4th grader

#EduSky

Thank you to the City of North Las Vegas for supporting hands-on learning through the Education Micro-Grant, which made it possible to purchase Makedo Fold-Rollers for my students. This funding gave students high-quality tools to design, build, and problem-solve with confidence.

Cardboard & @Makedo Race Track

(⏰ 30 min)
•Build boundaries
•Lift the track up to an inclined plane to provide a gentle downhill slope
•Build a start mechanism to ensure cars start together
•Place a finish line
🔁 Test & improve

✏️ Diagram & reflection

Happy FriYAY!! 🎉
Celebrate the “small” wins with your students. Each one represents “BIG” effort, progress, and learning in action.

📸: 1st grader

#STEM #LEGO #EduSky

New year, new STEM opportunities!

These LEGO DUPLO base plates became a ✨NEW✨ magnetic whiteboard build space! One student built a house, another a bridge, and soon someone may design a marble run.

🎯 Low-cost used materials.
🎯 High-impact open-ended learning.

📸: Kinder

#STEM #LEGO #EduSky

A 5th grader building a paper 3-D model of a Corvette and Mercedes G-Wagon

Me (hallway duty): Happy New Year! I’m so glad to see you!

5th grader: Over the break, I knew my class was coming back to you today! I couldn’t wait! I love engineering!
.
.
.
(in class)
I finished making the Mercedes G-Wagon. Can I also make the Corvette?

Me: 🥰🤗😍🙌🏾

#STEM #STEAM #EduSky

Thank you so much for the support and encouragement!

Good morning #EduSky

Congratulations Ekuwah for an awesome Educator spotlight!
Check out the podcast here: ▶️ youtu.be/Le_ruIRW7qg?...

"Conversations with educators disrupting the status quo so students can thrive. The Fierce Urgency of NOW is a weekly call to action." #podcast